1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to support structures for mounting electrical fixtures and more particularly, to mounting apparatus which can be utilized to easily mount a variety of electrical appliances such as ceiling fans and electrical lighting fixtures securely to suspended ceilings.
2. Description of the Prior Art
With any overhead electrical fixture such as a ceiling fan or overhead light, there is a need to mount the fixture in a convenient manner to either a drop or suspended ceiling. Several methods have existed in the prior art for attaching or mounting fixtures to drop ceilings, including those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,001,001 to Bibb and U.S. Pat. No. 3,440,331 to Cohen. Further, brackets and apparatus for mounting standard electrical boxes to drop ceilings are known, such as that taught in U.S. Pat. No. 3,025,338 to Cook. However, each of these methods suffers from a number of shortcomings in complexity, difficulty of installation, disturbance of existing structure and lack of flexibility of application. In Bibb for instance, a housing which straddles a suspended ceiling runner intersection is taught. However, the configuration in Bibb requires a complicated housing with a number of distinctive interior chambers configured for appropriate attachment to a specifically configured ceiling grid structure. The structure taught in Bibb is not universally mountable on a number of different grid configurations, and requires a multitude of separately configured complex structures. Further, the mounting apparatus taught in Bibb gains all of its structural support from the grid structure itself, and does not provide auxiliary suspension for the electrical fixture mounted thereto.
In Cohen, which also teaches the mounting of fixtures in the vicinity of a drop ceiling runner intersection, there is a further requirement that the intersection be eliminated entirely and replaced with the device shown. The removal or elimination of the intersection obviously adds expense, makes the mounting process more complicated, and may interfere with the structural integrity of the ceiling assembly. Use of the Cohen device and the necessary adaptation of the grid structure also renders the grid structure unusable should the fixture and mounting bracket need to be eliminated or moved to a new location.
The disadvantages of the prior art are overcome by the present invention which enables the mounting of appliances such as ceiling fans or light fixtures to newly installed or existing ceilings without extensive installation modifications and in a manner which assures solid, vibration-free attachment of the appliance.